A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. —Genesis 2:24

The movie The Princess Bride has a wedding scene in which the marrying minister says, “Marriage . . . is what brings us together today.”

Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves of the grand plan for marriage spelled out in Scripture.

Marriage creates one new family out of two: Adam said, “ ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh . . . .’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife” (Gen. 2:23-24).

It provides a pure outlet for a divinely designed desire: “Because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2).

It forms a mutually helpful team: “The heart of her husband safely trusts her . . . . She does him good and not evil all the days of her life” (Prov. 31:11-12).

Marriage God’s way brings a man and a woman together to honor Him and help society. Celebrate marriage for the ways it brings us together in God’s name. — Dave Branon

If men and women yield to God
And of His love partake,
The marriage bond that joins two hearts
No power on earth can break. —D. De Haan